Pro Tools and buying a new computer

[garageband]

I was mega-pissed when Finale stopped supporting their product that way.

[rytaddress]

Thanks for all of the responses. Of course, now my head is spinning. It sounds like many people have succeeded in using Pro Tools with Vista..though am I correct that Vista with 64 bit (pretty much standard on every computer now) will likely NOT work with Pro Tools, unless the computer is tweaked? (I am, sadly, NOT the most proficient computer manipulator.) Ok, so which software--besides Pro Tools--is best for someone who has an average PC and wants to make a 4 to 8 track recording using primarily a good Yamaha keyboard (with plenty of 'voice' and drum options) and vocals? Fruity Loops? SONAR? Cubase? Adobe Audition? Reason?? Sorry that I am so clueless..and thank you.

[coney123]

I would highly recommend Reaper, there is a fully functional demo that you can download too, but it is one of the cheapest options out there, which is rivalling PT, especially for the price.

It will do everything you need it to.

[boo]

I don't think anyone mentioned that you have to have digidesign hardware to run pro tools, so that is another limitation.
Coney123 has a good suggestion, Reaper is pretty much free and sounds like it will do all you need.
Reason won't record vocals, so its not for you.
I've never used it but cubase seems to be popular.

[richiebee]

Originally Posted by mindundermatter

And you gotta love the fact that MOTU throws in a hard copy of their manual rather than a .pdf file. That thing was my bible for a while.

I got a hard copy of the manual with Cubase 5 too. I have mixed opinions about it. It was okay to read away from my computer, but PDF has more powerful search capabilities than an index at the back of the book.

R.

[rytaddress]

Thanks for even more great information. Does anyone know the minimum requirements (computer system: memory, processor, etc.) for "Reaper?" Also (here is where my ignorance really shows): Besides a good studio microphone and headphones, what else would I need in order to use Reaper? (Pre-amp? Or some other interface to use with my computer?) I don't even know what types of cables (USB only?) to use? ("Pro Tools," the only software I have experience with, of course uses the MBox to handle all the mike cables, etc.) Again, thank you so much for all of the good advice. I'm learning, and I appreciate the help!

[coney123]

You can't record audio with Reason, so wouldn't be the best option for you. Reason is excellent when used in conjunction with other software, but as a standalone wouldn't be the best choice.

[rytaddress]

Oops, when I posted my previous entry, I initially wrote "Reason" when I meant "Reaper."

[coney123]

You can run reaper from pretty much any pc. I run it as a portable solution on a real old laptop, as PT doesn't even load on it.

You will need some sort of audio interface to record into reaper. Depending on your requirements there a lot of options for 1 or 2 input interfaces, in the 100-200 pound range.

Something like the M-audio fast track USB could be useful for you.

Like I said you can download a demo of Reaper, use your internal sound card for playback, just to test your PC requirements. If all is well you can then look at purchasing an interface.

[JezzDrums]

Originally Posted by patovg

you can always do something not so fancy. Cubase or Audition 3 could work for making decent recordings.

PV

Audition 3 is pretty good compared to the previous versions however it is $799 AUD on the adobe website. If you are a teacher or student you can get it at a much cheaper rate however I would recommend that if you were to pay $799 for audition that you would just be better off buying software that comes with an interface. Here you can get a cubase bundle with a limited version of cubase with lexicon omega interface for around $400 AUD, so less is you are in the US or UK. Personally though, since writing my last post, I have used my pro tools system (with vista) alot more and have found it to be flawless. In my opinion it is really so easy to use with great features.

There are some pretty well priced systems around if you do not want to go all out. You mentioned fruity loops as one of the DAW's you had heard of. They have a free demo so I would recomend downloading it and seeing if you like the way it works.